Horse-detacher.



PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

J. A. FENNELL. HORSE DETAGHER.

APPLICATION FILED man 21. 1906.

J/MZA R 5 mi N N E ,R V m .m T A m/ 2 1n: uoRRu PITERS co, WASHINOION.n, 1:

JOHN ALVIN FENNELL, OF GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

i HORSE-DETACHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Application filed June 21, 1906. Serial No. 322.750.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, .lonN ALVIN FENNELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greensburg, in the county of Westmoreland and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Horse-Detacher, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to attachments for' vehicles for releasing thehorse by devices operative from the drivers seat, and has for its objectto improve and simplify the construction of devices of this character.

With this and other objects in viewwhich will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, isillustrated the preferred form of the embodiment of the inventioncapable of carrying the same into practical operation.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view partly in section, of portionsof one of the thills and the connecting bar of the same together with aportion of the whiffletree, with the improved devices attached thereto.Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of aportion of one of the thills with one of the sliding coupling membersattached. Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the sliding coupling members,detached. Figs. 5 and 6 are views of the harness coupling member,detached.

The improved device may be applied to any size or form of thills orshafts of vehicle, and for the purpose of illustration is shown appliedto a conventional construction of this character, one of the thillsbeing represented at 10, the cross-bar connecting the thills at 1.2, andthe whiflfletree at 13, the latter pivoted at 14 to the cross-bar.

Slidably disposed upon the thills, preferably opposite the point wherethe back band of the harness usually comes, are sleeves one of which isrepresented at 15, each having a rearwardly inclined recess 17 openinginwardly therefrom, and through each of which a bolt 19 is movablydisposed. The inclined recesses are each adapted to receive a loop 21upon a frame, one of which is represented at 23, the frames being thusdetachably coupled to the sleeves by the bolts. The frame 23 is intheform of a rectangular loop, and provided with smaller loops 25-26extending from their upper and lower sides, the upper loop 25 adapted tosupport the billet or suspending straps 29 of the back band of theharness, and the lower loop 26 adapted to support the girth members,indicated at 30, of the harness. The forward end of the frame 23 isdesigned to receive the hame tugs or traces indicated at 27, and therear ends of the frames adapted to receive the forward ends of the holdback straps indicated at 28, the ordinary traces which lead to thewhiflletree being eliminated in the improved structure herein described.

The hold back straps, the back straps, the girth straps, and the hametugs are shown only in part, as they form no part of the presentinvention, and it is not necessary to further illustrate them.

The bolt 19 is spring supported, one of the springs being represented at31, and is provided with a lug 32 projecting therefrom, to enable themto be opened manually, when required, to release the frame 23, and theparts connected with them.

The sleeve 15 is connected to the thills by clips 33- 34, so that theyare free to move hmgitndinally upon the thills to a limited extent, theextent of the movement equaling the ordinary horse motion, and thethills are provided with spaced stops 3536 to prevent undue movement ofthe sleeves. Extending rearwardly of the sleeves are tubular members 37,pivoted at their rear ends at 39 to the ends of the whifl'letree 13. Thepivot 39 is provided within the tubular member 37 with a guide sheavell, and the whillletree is formed with longitudinal apertures 4344 andwith transverse apertures 45 centrally of the same and with which thelongitudinal apertures communicate. Swinging upon the pivot bolt 14 ofthe whiflletree is a lever arm having an extension 47 at one end, fromwhich a pull cable 48 leads to a point convenient to the hand of thedriver from the seat of the vehicle. Attached to the bolts 19 are pullcables 49-50, leading thence through the tubular members 37 around theguide sheaves 41, and thence to the lever arm 46, and attached theretoat opposite sides of the pivot 14. The sleeve 15 is thus coupled movablyto the whiflletree, and when the horse is hitched to the device by meansof the coupling frame 23 and loop 21, and is moving forward, the actionis precisely the same as when hitched in the ordinary manner by theordinary traces or tugs to a whillletree, the sliding movement of thesleeve being controlled by the swinging whillletree in precisely thesame manner as with the ordinary harness connections.

By this arrangement it will be obvious that so long as the horse istraveling in the usual manner he will remain coupled to the vehicle, butin event of a runaway or like occurrence, the driver by a pull upon thecable 48 can quickly withdraw the bolt 19 and release the animal, theforwardly inclined recess 17 causing the loop 21 to be quickly withdrawnfrom the sleeves.

When the horse is to be unhitched, the loops 21 may be simultaneouslyreleased by simply drawing the member 48 rearwardly in the same manneras when releasing in event of a runaway, except that the driver is onthe ground, instead of in the vehicle, during the latter operation.

The device is simple in construction, can be readily applied to thevehicle, and operates effectually for the purposes described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair ofthills having a whiilletree thereon, sleeves slidable upon the thillsand provided with lateral sockets opening inwardly, spring-supportedbolts operating in said sleeves and transversely of said sockets,tubular members connected at one end to said sleeves and pivoted at theother end to the ends of said whiflietree, draw cords connected to saidbolts and leading through said tubular members, and members having meansfor attachment to the harness and provided with loops bearing in saidsockets and detach-ably engaged by said bolts.

In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair ofthills having a whifiletree swinging thereon, sleeves bearing on saidthills and provided with latcral sockets opening inwardly, clipscouplingsaid sleeves slidably to said thills, spaced stops upon the said thillsand limiting the movement of said sleeves, bolts springsupported andoperating in said sleeves and transversely of said sockets, tubularmembers connected between said sleeves and the ends of said whiilietree, draw cables connected to said bolts and leading through saidtubular members, and members having means for attachment to the harnessand provided with loops bearing in said sockets and engaged by saidbolts,

In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair ofthills having a whiflietree swinging thereon, of sleeves slidable uponthe thills and provided with lateral sockets opening inwardly andinclining forwardly, coupling means between said sleeves and thills,members having ineans for attachment to the harness and provided withloops bearing in said sockets and engaged by said bolts, and meansoperative by the driver for withdrawing said bolts.

4, In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair ofthills having a whitl'letree swinging there on, sleeves slidable uponsaid thills and provided with lateral sockets opening inwardly, boltsspring-supported and operating in said sleeves and transversely of saidsockets, tubular members connected at one end to said sleeve and pivotedat the other end to said whifiletree, guide sheaves upon the pivotsbetween said tubular member and whifiietree, draw cables connected tosaid bolts and leading through said tubular members and around saidguide sheave, and members having means for attachment to the harness andprovided with loops bearing in said sockets and engaged by said bolts.

In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair ofthills having a whifiletree swinging thereon, a lever arm swinging uponthe pivot of said whiflletree, sleeves slidable upon the thills andprovided with lateral sockets opening inwardly, bolts spring-supportedand operating in said sleeves and transversely of said sockets. membershaving means for attachment to the harness and provided with loopsbearing in said sockets and engaged by said bolts, tubular membersconnected at one end to said slceves and pivoted at the other end tosaid whiifletree, guide sheaves upon the pivots between said tubularmember and whii'lietree, draw cables connected at one end to said boltsand leading around said guide sheaves and connected at the other ends tosaid lever arm, and a pull cord connected to said lever arm.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ALVIN FENNELL.

Witnesses:

EDWARD E. ROBBINS, .TNo. E. KUNKLE.

